FC Koln vs B. Monchengladbach prediction: GERMANY: Bundesliga betting tips on match 2023-04-01 13:30.
A five-match winless Bundesliga run (D1, L4) leaves Cologne looking anxiously over their shoulder as the season enters the home straight. Coming into the weekend six points clear of the three relegation spots, Cologne can’t rest easy just yet and should their joint-longest winless Bundesliga run under Steffen Baumgart become an unwanted record outright, then they could be sitting even more uncomfortably at the end of the weekend.
With Cologne’s position still looking perilous, a Rhine Derby against Borussia Mönchengladbach probably comes at an inopportune time, especially as they bear the psychological scars of a 5-2 defeat in the reverse earlier in the season. Just 35.4 miles separate Cologne from their bitter rivals off the pitch, and there’s always been something to separate them on it of late, with none of the last 14 H2Hs ending in stalemate (Cologne: W6, L8).
If there was ever an advert for mid-table mediocrity, then Gladbach are probably it. Sitting ten points above the drop zone and nine points adrift of the European spots ahead of the round, Daniel Farke’s side are essentially just playing for position. Such a mindset is perhaps demonstrated by a four-match winless league run (D2, L2), with Gladbach conceding nine goals across those games, eight of which arrived after the break.
Conceding has long been a problem for Gladbach and that problem has been amplified on the road, especially late in games where they’ve conceded a league-high ten away goals after the 75th minute. That perhaps goes some way to explaining why Gladbach have collected just seven points after 12 away Bundesliga games so far this term (W1, D4, L7), their lowest points tally after so many top-flight games on the road since 2006/07.
Players to watch: Expect a goal fest if Davie Selke gets on the scoresheet, as his two Bundesliga scoring appearances this season saw a whopping five first half goals scored! Gladbach may look to Marcus Thuram for a telling contribution considering three of his last four league goals served as game winners.
Hot stat: Cologne have failed to score in the first half in nine of their 12 home league games this season.